三教平心論 2.8

2.8

Confucius said: 'Can a petty man serve the prince? When he has not got [his post], he worries about getting it'—this is Yu's offering himself through the 'Three Memorials to the Guangfan Pavilion'. 'Once he has got it, he worries about losing it'—this is Yu's degrading himself to serve Yu Di to gain favor. 'If he worries about losing it, there is nothing he will not do'—this is Yu's petitioning for the Feng and Shan sacrifices, consulting Immortal Mao, and praying to the Two Consorts. With Yu's conduct being such, even if his writings were celebrated throughout the realm, how would they be worth mentioning? Master Zhou's *Tongshu* says: 'Those who do not apply themselves to virtue, but take literary skill as their mastery, are merely artisans of art.' Judged from this, then Yu, [Fu] Yi, and their like were all mere artisans. Who would say that Yu can be counted a Confucian? Moreover, in Yu's compositions, there are aspects that are especially open to criticism. In his *Origins of the Way*, he says: 'Universal love is called humaneness; acting in accordance with what is fitting is called righteousness; proceeding along this path is called the Way.' Yet he did not reflect that the Supreme Ultimate that is without ultimate is precisely what is called the Way. At that moment, how could there be the so-called universality of love or the fittingness of actions? The universality of love and the fittingness of actions are nothing other than the outflow and manifestation of this Way. Yet Yu asserted that the Way arises from universal love and fitting actions; is this not an extreme inversion? Yu's ignorance of the Way is like this.